ASHVIR SINGH JOHAL has become the youngest manager in the top five tiers of English football after being appointed as Morecambe boss – and his journey has been nothing short of incredible.
Singh Johal, 30, has been tasked with guiding the Shrimps into a new era after their nightmare period of uncertainty finally came to an end on Sunday.
National League Morecambe were in financial ruin and on the brink of collapse before the Panjab Warriors consortium finally got their takeover across the line on Sunday .
But their club-saving takeover has come with an unexpected start, the dismissal of a loyal manager and the appointment of highly-rated prospect with no prior professional managerial experience.
Popular figure Derek Adams was sacked by the new owners on Monday , just 73 minutes after the takeover was confirmed.
Morecambe cited “a strategic transition in leadership” in their statement announcing his dismissal, sparking outrage from Shrimps supporters who hold the manager in high regard.
Now the club will put its faith in Singh Johal, a student of two Arsenal icons who only earned his Uefa Pro License last month.
GETTING HIS START
Singh Johal began his journey into football coaching when he was just 16 years old, completing his FA Level 1 course at the same age that most people are completing their GCSEs.
A teenager with a dream of one day being a manager, Singh Johal spent his time teaching PE lessons and laying out cones to earn his stripes.
From there he began volunteering at Leicester City , starting with coaching in schools and community centres before entering the academy pathway with the U7s and building up to the U18s.
Singh Johal balanced that role with his A-Levels, going to school from 9am to 4pm, before starting his coaching at 6pm and heading home to revise afterwards.
Balancing his A-Levels became balancing his university work as Singh Johal spent eight years with the Foxes, taking his voluntary role to a part-time role and then finally a permanent position.
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
After grinding with Leicester, Singh Johal earned himself a position as Assistant Coach to Kolo Toure at Wigan Athletic – his first role as a first team coach in the Championship at just 27 years old.
Although Toure’s time in charge of the Latics was short-lived and unsuccessful , Singh Johal has claimed he learnt plenty from the Arsenal Invincible.
He previously said: “Kolo taught me a lot — about leadership, professionalism, and valuing people.
“He led with calm, clarity, and humility, and created an environment where people felt seen and supported. I learned a great deal — not just about the game, but about how to lead with purpose and consistency.”
After leaving Wigan, Singh Johal landed himself another job working under a different Arsenal icon.
This time he joined Cesc Fabergas in Italy at Como, earning the role of assistant manager of Como’s Primavera team.
On working so close to Fabregas, Singh Johal said: “Cesc showed incredible clarity, hunger and conviction in how he wanted his team to play — every day was so detailed.
“His belief in his leadership style and methodology, win, lose or draw, taught me so much about consistency and identity.
“I’m grateful to both Kolo and Cesc for their trust and guidance during such a key stage in their coaching journeys. To be part of both of their first steps into management was a real privilege.”
MAKING HISTORY
Singh Johal returned to the UK last year after work permit issues caused by Brexit meant he could no longer continue his journey in Italy.
Upon returning to English football he became the manager of Notts County’s B-team, a side that develops talent between the academy and the first team.
The up and comer has claimed his time with the club has been a “key step” in his journey.
Earlier this summer he became one of the youngest coaches in the history of English football to complete his Uefa Pro Licence qualification – graduating as part of the same cohort as ex England and Arsenal star Jack Wilshere .
That was just over a month ago, and now he embarks on his first job in professional management after landing his National League gig with Morecambe.
As well as being the youngest boss in all of England’s top five leagues, Singh Johal becomes the first Sikh to take charge of a professional club in the UK.
Speaking on his journey and finally reaching his ambition of becoming a professional manager, Singh Johal said: “All in all, I’ve had a lot of good experiences that have made me ready for this opportunity.
“I’ve been working hard for the last five or six years. I’ve known I wanted to be a manager.
“How do I learn from the right people? How do I be around the right environments? So that when I get the opportunity to be a manager, I’m successful from the start.
“For me that is the priority. Okay, this is about Morecambe Football Club, it’s about building a team that can perform on the pitch. That’s our priority this season.”
Adding: “It’s what I’ve wanted to do, it’s been my dream since I was 14 or 15 years old. Every single day that has been the target I have worked towards.
“But for me now, there’s a new target. The target is to make sure Morecambe are successful as a club.”
